March 2017 – Readwithkristie.com

The Time Keeper cover

“There is a reason God limits our days.”

“Why?”

“To make each one precious.”

Once upon a time there was no time. At least, the concept of time was unknown to mankind until a man named Dor began trying to measure it. In doing so, he changed the world. The question is, was it changed for better or worse?

Dor became Father Time, but not by choice. Like “Mother Nature,” Father Time is one of those mythical figures who has no holiday for us to celebrate, except maybe our individual birthdays where we honor the passing of time until we want to forget that it’s happening. However we try to control time, either by cramming as many activities into a minute or an hour; or with healthy habits, medicines, or cosmetic surgery to slow it down, it marches on. With or without us, Time marches on.

In his solitude as Father Time, grieving for his lost love and his mortal life, Dor watches two people on earth. One is Victor Delamonte, a self-made millionaire who has been diagnosed with cancer. The other, a smart but solitary teenage girl named Sarah Lemon, whose high school crush is, well, a lemon. Time, and the ever-futile attempt to control it, is about to play a huge role in both their lives. When these seemingly random lives intersect…I can promise you will never look at a clock the same way again.

Confession: When I “read” The Time Keeper, by Mitch Albom, I didn’t actually read it. I did something unusual for me, which was listening to the audio book available through my local digital library. It was read by Dan Stevens, a very capable reader who convincingly acted out the characters’ voices, and who is also playing the Beast in the currently popular Disney movie.

The author uses some beautiful imagery and phrasing, many that I wish I could’ve underlined, so reading the book is certainly not a waste of time. (Pun intended.) Listening to it was simply an experiment of mine in using my library’s audio book feature.

The plot is unique, truly unlike any I’ve read before, and the book would make a terrific book club selection if you happen to be in one. It encourages thought, discussion, and makes one pause at how our own individual lives and time are being used. Without a doubt, the most interesting book I’ve read in quite a while. Highly recommended.

9.5/10 Stars

In Kristin Hannah’s novel, Comfort and Joy, high school librarian Joy Candelaro is a realist, but still a dreamer. Her beloved job is real. So is the fact that her ex-husband, Thom, and her sister, Stacey, are now a couple.

It is one thing to choose to change your life, but it is something else entirely to have change thrust upon you without your approval. This particular change has hit Joy like a ton of bricks. Being the result of betrayal by the two people she trusted most in the world has made it even more difficult. How does someone recover from something like this? How does someone regain a semblance of control when everything she knew has been tossed to the wind? All she has left to hold on to is her job, and it isn’t enough.

Joy’s answer is to give herself a spontaneous gift. A change of scenery should do it; the chance to leave dusty Bakersfield and board a plane to the lush Pacific Northwest.

Little does she know that this decision will take her on a journey of discovery. A journey of the heart and mind.

To tell more would spoil the plot.

This is a novel that requires some compromises from the reader. The reader must suspend reality a bit, which I was willing to do. The reader must also accept the fact that not all questions (there are many) will be answered by the book’s conclusion. That was harder for me. And, although I’m glad I stayed with it until the end, there were times I almost put it down permanently. The book is flawed, but still sweet and worth your time. Resist the urge to tell yourself “that would never happen.” Just give yourself over to the events and let the plot envelop you.

This is most definitely in the category of “Women’s Fiction.” The book taps into many of our emotions: empathy, despair, hope, and love. It is escapist and it is enjoyable.

8/10 Stars